Utrecht Wharfs and Trade

In 1122 a dam was erected in the Rhine
near Wijk bij Duur-
stede

The conse-quence was,that
the water level in Utrecht lowered.

The city had to prevent that the traders would come into difficulties now, for the water ways could not be used anymore for transport of goods.

That’s why a new canal was dugged, the Vaartse Rhine with first a connection to the Hollandse IJssel (from Ledig Erf, Utrecht to the river Lek near Vreeswijk).

A second connection was made between the Vaartse Rhine to the Stathe (a trading centre near the present town hall) and this connection was called the (Oude) Gracht.

The tides of the water, however,were still effected by the tides of the Rhine for there was an open connection.

As a solution sluices were built to regulate the level of the canal and to keep that level constant low.

The lower water level made it possible now to make corridors from the storage cellars of the houses directly to the canal(gracht), for the water wouldn’t come into the houses anymore.

And in this way the entrance of the cellars came much close to the water.
In front of the cellars a wharf (kade) was built.
That made it easier to load the goods over from the boats to the cellars.

In 1402, when the trade increased, there was even a hoisting crane to pick up the goods from the boats.

On the peinture as well as on the memorial stone you see a part of the wharf in the still existing corner near the town hall.